Stallman (was Re: [H-GEN] SUID, and Unix groups [long])

Jason Henry Parker jasonp at uq.net.au
Mon Sep 13 21:30:56 EDT 1999


[ Humbug *General* list - semi-serious discussions about Humbug and
Unix-related topics. ]

[How could I resist?  :)]

"Byron Ellacott" <bellacott at hotmail.com> writes:

> I think[0] I picked this particular habit[1] up from Nooks[2] who has used 
> to to great effect[3] in many a posting.  

Ah, you flatter me unnecessarily.

> He may[4] have picked it up from 
> Pratchett[5] but it is certain he is not the only one[6] to use this form 
> here[8].  However, I am but a humble[9] programmer[10], and not a sysadmin 
> at all.

I'm pretty sure I started footnoting after a brief foray into the
monastery; parenthetical notes have always yanked my chain, though.
Speaking of which.  I was browsing my copy of Unix Network Programming
recently, and stumbled across this little gem[a], about the origins of
Posix:

    The first Posix standard was a trial use version in 1986
    known as `IEEEIX.'  The name Posix was suggested by Richard
    Stallman.

You can say what you like about RMS, but if he saved us from IEEEIX (any
clues how to pronounce that?), then he's a hero, as far as I'm concerned.

And speaking of RMS, I still have a .jpg of his autograph from his visit a
few months ago.  I've been trying, off and on, to get organised and make
it into a t-shirt or something, but lack of time and organisational
skills[b] has prevented much coming of it so far.  What I'd like to do is
take either:

  o the first paragraph or so of the GNU GPL

 OR

  o the `typing gnu' picture from a few years ago (you can see a copy at
    http://www.gnu.org/graphics/gnu-type-sm.jpg)[c]

 OR

  o something else.

What's really standing in the way of making this happen is the any text on
the sort of shirt I've priced can *not* have any serifs.  Removing the
serifs from the text of the typing gnu is, er, a little beyond my artistic
skill.  I *could* find a deft hand with photoshop, but it seems a little
... icky to make a FSF shirt with proprietary software.

I short, I still want to do this, I need to gauge support (not to mention
prospective buyers---the price depends on the size of the run), I've got
permission from the FSF and RMS, so I'm tossing this out to the collective
for some suggestions.

Oh, and a few volunteers with an afternoon free to help print shirts would
be cool too.

Any takers?

jason, avoiding putting `NMF' everywhere.

[a] : Okay.  Okay.  So it's not really a footnote.  Deal.

[b] : Such as the ones enabling me to ramble on -chat instead of
      working on acid-base equilibria...

[c] : I notice there are new ways of getting a GNU shirt.

-- 
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